Why Affeldt turned down $500,000

San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeremy Affeldt throws to the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning of their spring training baseball game Thursday, March 29, 2012 in Surprise, Ariz. The Giants won 6-2.

San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeremy Affeldt throws to the Texas...

Toronto -- If you found $500,000 in the street and knew it belonged to someone else, but discovered that legally you could keep it, would you?

That essentially was Jeremy Affeldt's dilemma in March, 2010, he wrote in his book, "To Stir a Movement."

Affeldt was set to earn $4 million in 2010 under an existing contract with the Giants when they negotiated a two-year, $10 million extension. When the 2010 amount was rewritten into the new contract, someone made a clerical error and typed $4.5 million instead. The Giants and Affeldt signed it without recognizing the mistake.

Affeldt got three opinions saying the contract was ironclad and he could keep the extra $500,000, from the Players Association, agent Michael Moye and even Giants assistant general manager Bobby Evans.

Affeldt recalled Moye telling him, "You know what? As your agent I've got to tell you that legally you can keep it. As a man who represents integrity, I'm saying you should give it back."

And that's what Affeldt said he did, redoing the contract with the $500,000 excised.

"I talked to Bobby the next day and said, 'I can't take that money,' " Affeldt said. " 'I won't sleep well at night knowing I took that money because every time I open my paycheck I'll know it's not right.' "

Affeldt signed a new three-year, $18 million deal last winter and said he believes the negotiations went smoothly and quickly because of the residual good feelings from the 2010 experience.

Affeldt also revealed in the book that the Giants wanted to sign him in 2008, but he thought their offer was low in light of the season he just had with Colorado. He signed with Cincinnati instead, then came to San Francisco in 2009.

Briefly: Manager Bruce Bochy considered just-promoted Brett Pill as the designated hitter but picked Marco Scutaro to give his back a break. Bochy expects Buster Posey to DH on Wednesday. ... The Rogers Centre roof was closed on a cold night, but might be open Wednesday. The ball carries better with it open.

GIANTS ON DECK

Wednesday

at Blue Jays

4:07 p.m. CSNBA

Vogelsong (1-3) vs. Ortiz (1-2)

Thursday

at Rockies

5:40 p.m. CSNBA

Cain (2-2) vs. Chacin (2-3)

Friday

at Rockies

5:40 p.m. CSNBA

Bumgarner (4-1) vs. De La Rosa (4-3)

GIANTS LEADING OFF

Whoops: No moment symbolized the Giants' loss better than Buster Posey losing track of the count and throwing to third, as a catcher does after a strikeout, on a 3-1 strike to Colby Rasmus in the seventh.